“Mount Liminal” is an ongoing series through the Alpine region, where local rituals and traditions are practiced, such as winter banishments and harvest festivals. These customs often symbolize various aspects of seasonal change and the duality between good and evil, often embodied by figures like the Perchten, who emerge every winter. For some, a temporary gateway from ordinary life or living acts of imagination. These traditions are kept alive during ever changing environments, but not without challenges.
They offer an immersive experience for the entire community, with transformation through masks and costumes. Participants enter a liminal state: an in-between space where everyday identities dissolve. Throughout history, these costumes have often been photographed in similar ways. "Mount Liminal" portrays the faces behind these disguises, primarily those of younger generations. What motivates them to keep these centuries-old traditions alive? Their active participation contrasts with the narrative of youth abandoning ‘sleepy’ villages in the valleys. A key motivation is honoring older generations. Rituals from (grand)parents are passed on. At the age of eighteen, they’re finally allowed to take part. In this way, traditions have been passed down from generation to generation for centuries.
The photo project is a meditative exploration of tradition, transformation, and identity in the Alpine region. The mountains serve as a gateway to another world, made visible through the camera.
The word “liminal” is derived from the Latin “limina”, meaning “on the threshold.” It refers to a transitional state: a phase between two stages of being. Such a liminal condition arises, for example, when someone dons a mask and, through costume, transforms into another being. In this guise, one is believed to have the power to ward off evil spirits. Seasonal changes, when many of these traditions take place, are also typical liminal moments. “Mount” refers on one hand to the geographic setting of the Alps, but also symbolizes the mountain as a spiritual entity: a place between good and evil, light and dark, life and death. These Alpine rituals demonstrate how imagination is not escapism but a vital practice of community, resilience, and identity.
